Dance With Me
by rosexknight
Summary: It's New Years Eve, and Belle wants Gold to go to the party at Granny's Bed and Breakfast with her. He deals with the feelings that he has for the librarian, trying to figure out exactly what they are to each other, and coming to a realization. Also, will he dance with her? Part of the Mistletoe Series.


Dance With Me

By: RosexKnight

_It's New Years Eve, and Belle wants Gold to go to the party at Granny's Bed and Breakfast with her. He deals with the feelings that he has for the librarian, trying to figure out exactly what they are to each other, and coming to a realization. Also, will he dance with her?_

"You know tomorrow's New Years Eve."

Gold hummed in response as he mixed sprite in with Belle's wine, the way she liked it.

"So why haven't you taken the mistletoe down?"

Belle was standing next to the island in the kitchen, pointing to the fake plant that was the only evidence that the pink house had been touched by Christmas. After the party she'd spent most of Christmas Day taking the decorations down, packing them away into boxes and storing them in one of his many closets. But he'd insisted the mistletoe stay right where it was, hanging at the entrance to the kitchen.

"I told you that decoration could stay." Gold said as he offered her the crystal wine glass.

"I think...you just want an excuse to kiss me."

Belle watched him over the top of her glass with a knowing look. He simply gave her a smirk. Sometimes he hated how his girlfriend knew him so well. How she giggled when she flustered him, which happened more often then he cared to admit.

Girlfriend. He swirled the word around in his mind. They had never said it. But they were together. She never denied it when Ruby or Emma teased her about "having a thing for older men." Never said the dreaded "Oh we're just friends." when someone assumed they were together when they went out. "Just friends" didn't hang on his arm as they walked together to Granny's for lunch, or anywhere really. Didn't come to the shop on break just to read the books she tended to leave there. Didn't come over to his house on a regular basis to cook dinner and watch movies. And certainly didn't say "I love you" almost every time after sex.

He said it back almost every time she said it. When he wasn't too exhausted and unable to catch his breath. Or cowardly. Because something in him was still expecting her to disappear when he opened his eyes.

"So..." Her voice trailed off, and Gold recognized the tone she used to goat him into throwing the town's Christmas Party at his house. "There's going to be a party at Granny's on New Years Eve. Music, drinks, dancing..."

He set the spaghetti he'd finished in front of her, scooping out noodles and sauce for her easily.

"It's all Ruby's been talking about. And I was told I had to bring a date."

"Sounds reasonable." He said, settling into his chair.

He was avoiding the subject entirely. Belle knew. He knew she knew. Because she was somehow always able to read him like a book. But she didn't seem to care.

"You'll…go with me?"

"I don't dance." He said, flinching at the hurt look in her eyes. "I mean I can't, love. I could once. Very well. But not now. My leg..."

She pointed a fork at him, a meatball skewered at the end of it. "You just haven't had a partner that knows what she's doing."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see if you come with me to New Years. Besides, you're my boyfriend. It'd be weird not having you around to kiss at midnight."

Gold very nearly dropped his fork. Boyfriend. She'd said it. Belle had called him her boyfriend. There was no denying it now. It was all on the table. Something warm bubbled inside him. Hot relief that made something form in his throat that he had to swallow.

Belle was giggling. "You alright sweetheart?"

"Fine." He said, a tender smile forming as he brought his U injured ankle to brush against her foot under the table. "Never better."

Granny's was buzzing with activity already. Men at the bar. Music playing. A makeshift dance floor. How was he even remotely drug into this?

"Can I order a hamburger?"

Gold lifted his eyes from the wine he was pouring for the both of them to the brunette sitting across from him, looking at him with excited blue eyes.

Oh yeah. That was how.

"Of course. Whatever you like, dearie." Gold said, sipping his glass. She was so peculiar. Always asking if she could order something. As if she didn't know that he wouldn't shower his girlfriend in the best money could buy.

Girlfriend. The word still made a smile quirk at his lips.

Ruby and Emma were on the dance floor, enjoying the time they got before it got too crowded. Belle had turned down their invitation, opting to get food with him before the party went into full swing. He couldn't help the pang of guilt that ran through him, he knew she wanted to dance by the way she laughed at Ruby and Emma, but he couldn't help but be glad of her company.

"I thought they were to bring dates." He said absently as Granny brought their food out.

"They're on their way." Belle explained, stealing one of his fries off his plate. "I have a feeling Killian and Whale might be pre-gaming a bit."

"What about Henry?"

"Spending the night with Jefferson and Grace." She stole another fry off his plate. "Jeff doesn't like crowds or loud noises. It messes with his PTSD. So he volunteered to watch Henry when Emma needed a sitter for the night."

A pang of jealousy ran through him at her casual tone. Belle and Jefferson were friends of course, but something in him still didn't like it. Jeff. So…familiar. Gold returned to his hamburger.

"You'll save me a dance?" He asked after a bit of silence, the words running together very un-casually.

She looked almost surprised at his question, obviously not expecting him to ask such a thing. Still, he loved the smile it brought to her lips.

"You ask as if I wouldn't."

"Well..." He started, sheepishly taking a swig of his wine.

"Were you afraid I'd dance with other men if you didn't come with me to this?" Belle asked, giving him a knowing smirk. "Are you the jealous type Gold?"

Yes he was. She knew that. How did she not know that? The glare she earned wasn't sincere, but she stuck his tongue out at him all the same.

"Belle are you coming?" Ruby asked the moment the brunette's plate was clean.

"I..." Belle's voice trailed off, glancing to Gold, suddenly uneasy.

"Oh no." Emma said. "We gotta have some girl time before the boys get here. Come on. I'm sure Gold can spare a few minutes."

"Or hours." Ruby added teasingly, waving her hand at Gold's glower, too buzzed for her usual skepticism. "Relax it's just us."

"Alright alright." Belle said with a laugh, kissing Rumple as she passed. "Be back in a bit."

"No hurry, love."

He watched the three women disappear to the dance floor. The music picked up as the diner began to get more crowded, Whale and Killian joining in with the trio of girls, silently shooing away anyone who looked at Emma and Ruby. No one looked at Belle that way. Whether for fear of him or her Gold had no idea. He kept an eye on Belle, his Belle, becoming an observer just like the Christmas party not eight days ago. Eight days and they were an item. Had she wanted that all along? Since he's met her in the library and caught her from the tumble she'd taken from coming down the ladder? God knew he did, despite the pain in his ankle that had followed him for days after. He'd wanted her to be his since the moment he saw her. Who knew she'd have felt the same?

"The observer again, Gold?" Regina had appeared at his booth, looking at him with a knowing smirk. He didn't care. He was feeling to...up to let her mess with him, "Seems your librarian has taken to you well."

"Yes and your woodsman to you." He said, nodding to Robin at the bar, drinking with a few friends. "How's that going, dearie?"

"Fine." Regina said with a shrug. "I have nothing to complain about."

"Not even how his eyes wander to Marian every now and then?"

Regina gave him a glare. "I'm not the jealous type." Like hell she wasn't. "I'd take care not to suffocate the poor girl, Gold. Things can slip through your fingers no matter how tight you hold them."

"I'll keep that in mind." He said, his voice softer. That was twice now Regina had given him advice about Belle at a party. It seems she was trying to help, albeit in her own way. Not that he wasn't used to it. "I wouldn't worry about his wandering eyes either, Dearie. A birdie told me they were childhood friends. Nothing more."

His eyes stayed on Belle, swaying her hips in a way that made quite a few thoughts run through his mind. Bloody vixen knew he'd be watching. Was there no end to her teasing? Out of the corner of his eye he saw Madame Mayor relax, and even smile as she gave him a nod and went to join Robin and his merry men.

After a few more minutes the music shifted, slowing, and Gold's palms suddenly felt very sweaty. The dance floor thinned as pairs began to form. Ruby and Whale. Emma and Killian. And Belle was headed his way.

"Come on." She urged, those brilliant blue eyes melting his insides despite his rigid body with the look she was giving him. She took his hands, helping him to stand up. "I'll give you that dance."

His eyes moved up to the couples holding each other, swaying back and forth.

He could do that.

He could sway back and forth and maybe even twirl her. However, he wasn't two steps in when his palms suddenly became sweaty as the fear bubbles up inside him.

No he couldn't.

His flight instinct kicked in as he became acutely aware of the cane he had to depend on, and he stopped, tugging her hand back. "Belle..."

"Oh don't you dare look back." The brunette said, her voice firm and playful and tender all at the same time. She urged him on, stopping at the edge of the dance floor. "Just keep your eyes on me."

"But—"

"Gold." The way he said it made him look up, and suddenly he trusted her. "Shut up and dance with me."

And then she was moving, swaying back and forth with his hand on his waist, then twirling away and back, even supporting herself as she pretended to be dipped. The rest of the world fell away, and the only thing he became aware of was how she moved. How she felt beneath his fingertips. How her eyes sparkled as she smiled and hummed along to the song that Gold didn't bother to pay attention to because she was all that mattered.

This woman was his destiny.

"10! 9! 8! 7!" The entire diner was chanting as the television in the corner broadcasted Time's Square. Even holding Belle's hand, Gold was surprised to found himself in the crowd, chanting along with them "5! 4! 3! 2! 1!"

Confetti exploded around the diner as all of Storybrooke cheered, welcoming in the new year. Gold was barely aware of it though. Because Belle was holding on to his lapels, and his arms were around her, cane be damned, and their lips were on each other, moving shamelessly in the crowd. It was tender, but their lips no longer held any nervousness as they brushed one another yielding as if it were second-nature. The dancing of their lips was familiar. Natural As if they had been doing so all their lives instead of eight short, glorious days.

When they pulled away from each other they were breathless, but neither could help the giddy laugh that escaped them.

"Yours." She managed with a bright smile, bringing his hand to rest over her heart as her forehead rested against his, and nothing else needed to be said.

"Can the mistletoe stay?" Gold asked suddenly, saying the first thought his mind could grasp at in the chaos that was his mind right now. "Even though it's past Christmas?"

Belle giggled, the sound like the sweetest melody as he brushed a piece of confetti from her face. "If you promise to kiss me like that when I'm caught under it, and every other time I ask it can."

"Deal."


End file.
